


Riffing free

by FiKate



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, Music, hints of luke and julie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27534928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiKate/pseuds/FiKate
Summary: Luke's thoughts as he and the band try and figure out how to play themselves free of Caleb to be with Julie on the Orpheum stage.
Kudos: 34





	Riffing free

Luke could feel Alex’s beat in his feet and in his heart as his suit felt too tight, but Reggie’s bass was constant and true. There had to be a way to fight this and get out to Julie.

This wasn’t their music. Caleb could make them play and be here but he’d needed them in the club to hold them. Alex added a new syncopation to the beat and Luke followed with a riff on his guitar that he heard Reggie pick up. It was small enough that Caleb didn’t notice but one of the dancers glanced his way. She added an extra flourish with her fan that perfectly matched their riff. Luke allowed himself a half-smile, maybe their music could get them out. 

This time, he improvised, playing off of the swing song that Caleb had them playing, it started from one of Caleb’s lines but went off to the side. Reggie picked it up, adding a beat that felt like one of his grins as Alex added in their bounce. Whatever Alex was doing was stronger, the beat making Luke think of playing with Julie and on the beach, how they should be. The worst part of it all was time felt strange, he didn’t know how long they had, how long they’d been here. He knew there was a clock in the club, but it wasn’t visible from the stage or not from his section of it. They had to keep trying and going, however long it took.

Four, maybe five sets in, Alex did a solo that was all him and when Luke looked back, he saw Alex’s suit was open at the collar. Caleb noticed too and glared at Alex who went back but not fully, now he was Alex playing. That shift gave Luke the opening to try one of his own solos but it was hard, like playing with a busted sound system. He could feel himself striking the notes and chords but couldn’t hear them like he wanted to. Caleb smirked his way and Luke was able to get one beautiful sequence out. Then he felt like the stupid shirt he was wearing got tighter all at once then looser. Luke moved against it as much as he can and felt his sleeves feel freer. Reggie had managed to get down to only his vest instead of the full suit. They could get out of this.

It was easier the next set as Caleb had to leave the stage to go be a host, now he didn’t see everything. The dancers were down on the floor too, one might come on the stage but they were almost helping, changing their steps to match the music. The one from earlier even used her fan to help hide Luke ripping off his sleeves. That felt good, now he felt more like himself.

As the next set began, Luke played the opening to Stand Tall and Alex and Reggie picked it up. Caleb glared at them but their music didn’t change. Luke went all in, imagining playing on the stage of the Orpheum with Julie. Then he heard a gasp and watched Alex pop out then Reggie, this was the trick. He focused on Julie but heard Caleb saying, “But you’ll never have a crowd like this, always here, always for you.” 

Luke was on the stage of the Orpheum but he kept hearing that crowd in the Ghost Club and looked at Julie, she was what he wanted. Caleb’s bargain could never touch playing with her. Then as he went hard on a riff, he was on the stage, they were all on the stage with Julie.


End file.
